#jhersa

     Since the incident back at (y/n)'s childhood home, Din had insisted on her living in the covert with his clan. They could keep her safe, and if another bounty hunter were to come for her again, they would have a hell of a time finding her. Her lip quivered a little as she tilted her head towards the floor when she felt Naalnish brush up against her leg. So many thoughts were racing through her mind. How would the others feel about an outsider living with them? Had he even discussed it? Do they know he's married? They have to... if he talked to them. She tapped her foot quickly and anxiously, trying to keep her eyes from watering.

     He stared her down, unobstructed by the glass of his visor, and looked her up and down. He caught a glimpse of her leg peeking through the skirt she wore and the scar tearing through the flesh leaving pink ribbons on her thigh. His eyes wandered to her shoulder, a deep wound, not yet a scar, still red, itchy, and healing from the predator's blade. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before taking a few steps forward, placing a hand on her cheek and the other, gently over her shoulder.

     "I just want you to be protected. If I were to let you stay and something like this happened again," He traced the edges of the wound with his fingers, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you didn't make it."

     She thought for a moment, taking a step back to bring into consideration his thoughts on the matter. He was right. It would be foolish of her to stay after what had happened. It was a miracle she was even standing with him right then.

     "Ok." She responded with a low voice. "But what if I hate it? Is everyone even going to be ok with it?"

     "I spoke to the clan leader and she said it would be perfectly fine." He said, placing a warm kiss on her forehead.

     "Are you sure?" She asked with a downy smile.

     "Positive."

     As he lead her down the corridors of the covert, she clung to him tightly. She wanted to hide behind him so badly. She could feel the stared of everyone they passed by. With one arm wrapped around his, and her free hand white-knuckling Naalnish's harness, she listened closely to the whispers of those they passed. A few kids ran by them, giggling and playing some game they had made up in their free time, but the wolf stayed true to his path, sniffing the air, and taking in the surroundings.

     "-and to the left is the corridor our home is down." She was just able to catch the last few words leaving her husbands mouth. He had been explaining things to her the whole way to the armorer's, but the whole situation was so nerve-wracking she couldn't even pay attention. A couple more twists and turns and they made it. Din pulled his arm away from (y/n) as he had her stand beside him before taking a seat in front of the clan leader.

     "Always nice to have you back." She said monotonously. "I take it you are Din's wife." She said looking to (y/n) who was hoping and praying her shoulders weren't visibly tense.

     "...umm...yes." She answered tremulously rubbing her thumb along the woven cord of Naalnish's leash.

     "Well, it's good to finally meet you. However, I never got your name."

     "I-it's (y/n)."

     The woman stared at her through her helmet. It had been quite some time since she had seen another being without being adorned in full armor unless it was a child. Having been told nothing about her from the man of famously few words, she took an extra moment to look her up and down. It took her a minute to notice the cloudy haze covering her eyes.

     "I'm sure she's had a long day." She said, turning her gaze back to Din. "Why don't you take her to get settled and we'll discuss what we talked about later?"

     "I will." He said with a nod before standing. He reached his hand to (y/n)'s which she grabbed tightly.

     A silent minute or two and his footsteps came to a halt. She felt him place something cold in her hand. A card. She rubbed it between her fingers and felt an etching on the front.

     "That's your key to get in. I carved an arrow into it so you know which direction to swipe it." He said. He took the leash from her and brought her other hand up to the door. "The door is metal, and the walls are stone. The reader is to the right of the door."

     She trailed her hand across the cool door until she came to the frame and rough stone. At about shoulder height, she located the card reader.

     "The arrow on the card goes towards the wall and faces to the right." He said. She felt the key card again, and brought it to the reader, swiping it. A chime. The door swished open. She was always glad that he helped her, but didn't baby her. He gave her instruction, but let her learn the rest on her own. She thought it was sweet. Not many people would be as thoughtful and considerate as he was.

     "You should probably be able to learn quickly how to get around easily." He said. "I hope."

     She stepped inside after him. One thing she did love about being underground was the coolth of the atmosphere. It wasn't stale, but surprisingly crisp.

     "This is the common room." He said. "I never had much furniture. Just a sofa to your left and a couple tables beside it and a chair. To the right is the kitchen. The stove is on the back wall and the sink on the left wall." He walked with her through the apartment as Naalnish wandered around, nose glued to the ground and sniffing away. "Opposite the sink is a table and a couple chairs."

     She walked, feeling the difference in the floor beneath her feet. The kitchen floor seemed to be smoothed out and polished compared to the clay in the living room.

     "The bedroom is this way." He said taking her hand again. "It's on the left wall from when you enter, in this alcove here. The back door is for the bedroom and the one on the right is the refresher."

     (Y/n) reached out and felt the door of the bedroom. It was wood. Thankfully not metal like the entrance or, in her nervousness, she may accidentally walk out of the apartment in haste.

     "Nothing much in the bedroom besides the bed. I never usually sleep here, so there's only one thin blanket. We can go get more tomorrow and I can teach you how to get around the market."

     She sat on the bed, running her hand over the rough blanket and smiled a little.

     "Ok." She said, "Wait, but I thought we weren't allowed to leave."

     "You're not a mandalorian, so you're free to come and go." He said, sitting next to her, stroking her hair. "Now," He said with a kiss on her forehead before replacing his helmet, "I have to go speak with the clan leader again. I should be back by night, but I've got something I have to take care of with some old friends."

     "Are you taking the child?"

     "Yes. He stays on the ship when were on this planet. It's too dangerous to leave him here." He said.

     "Well, while you're gone I'll try and get used to the place."

     When he left, (y/n) wandered around her new home, locating things she would use on a daily basis like, the soap in the refresher, the edge of the shower, the front door in relation to the living room, cooking utensils, and other things. He didn't have much and she giggled to herself.

     "A true bachelor." She thought aloud. She jumped and heard Naalnish's collar jingle as he snapped his head to the door. There was a loud knock against the metal.

     "Hello?" She asked, feeling around the doorframe for the switch to open it. The intruder noticed the worried look on her face when it finally opened.

     "Oh! I didn't mean to startle you." A woman's voice said. "I saw you come in with Din and I thought I'd introduce myself. So the rumors of him having a wife were true!"

     "Yes." She smiled and laughed nervously. "Why don't you come in. I would make a pot of caf, but I don't know where things are yet and... oh, I forgot. You can't take it off."

     The woman laughed and she sat on the couch across from the chair she sat in.

     "I'm Jhersa by the way."

     "(Y/n)."

     "I was so excited to learn you were coming, even though I didn't know whether it was true or not. There aren't many other women down here and most of them are older." She said smiling underneath her red helmet. "You seem a little nervous. Did I come at a bad time?"

     "No, no! Actually a perfect time. I'm just not used to being somewhere besides home and other places I'm familiar with. My whole life has been my home and the local market on my home planet. I never really had many friends either because I took care of my mother until she died. I'm nervous to be around so many unfamiliar people, but excited at the same time too."

     "Oh, that's so wonderful that you took care of her! That's so important." Jhersa said. "Do you have a communicator?"

     "Yes. A special one."

     "Special. Why so?"

     "I'm blind." She said giggling a little.

     "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't even realize. Sometimes it's hard to see and...well, the lights are off."

     "They are?!" She said, shooting up from her chair.

     "Yes." Jhersa laughed. "I figured you liked it dark or something."

     (Y/n) laughed along with her, happy to find something to lift her spirits, even if it was at her own expense. She felt around the wall by the door and found a switch, flicking it.

     "That better?"

     "Yes. Very much." She said. "Oh, you're so pretty." She remarked once the lights flickered on, "I see why he fell for you."

     (Y/n) felt her cheeks flush a crimson red, comparable to her new friend's armor.

     "Thank you." She smiled sheepishly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "You were asking about my communicator?"

     "Yes, I'll give you my access code. If you ever need anything, let me know! I'd be happy to help."

     She breathed a sigh of relief.

     "I thought when I got here that no one would like me."

     "Eh, there are a few crotchety people, but hey, they've been stuck underground for years."

     "Well, I'm glad you stopped by. I never wanted to leave my home behind, but he insisted that I should come here. I was attacked back when I was home. Some enemy of his was trying to get revenge through me, and he worried that if it were to happen again, I wouldn't be so fortunate to escape with my life."

     "He must really care about you. I don't know him too well, but I do know he's very set in his ways." She said with a smile under her helmet. They were silent for a moment and Jhersa finally worked up the courage to ask what had been weighing on her mind. "So...just out of curiosity... has he asked you about getting armor? Or becoming a Mandalorian?"

     "No. He never talked about anything like that at all. Why?"

     "Well, usually when a Mandalorian marries someone who isn't, they take on the creed."

     "Oh...really?" A million things ran through her mind when she mentioned that. She *had* read about Mandalorian culture and even found an audio pamphlet about the history. Every Mandalorian was a warrior, regardless of age, or anything. Did he not think she was capable? Of course she couldn't see someone in order to pick a fight, but surely she had the agency to defend herself. Why had he never talked to her?"

     "Is it...is he breaking some code or something if I don't?" She asked.

     "No it's just customary that when you're married in to a clan you become a Mandalorian yourself. He might be breaking a 'social code' or something, but I haven't heard anyone mention it."

     "Maybe he's just been too busy to talk about it." She said, twiddling her thumbs. "Actually, he did go speak to the armorer. That's where he is right now. Perhaps he's asking her first?"

     "Oh, maybe. Well, I should really get going." Jhersa said, standing up. As she rose from her seat, (y/n) could hear the rustle and jingling of her armor. "Don't hesitate to contact me if you need something."

     "I will. Thank you." As Jhersa turned towards the door, it rushed open, heavy boots taking a couple steps over the threshold.

     "Oh. Hello," Din said, "I wasn't expecting any visitors."

     "I thought I'd come introduce myself." Jhersa said.

     "That was very kind of you." He said. "Were you just leaving?"

     "Yes."

     "Well, it was nice to see you. Perhaps you could come by again some day."

     As he spoke, Jhersa walked to the door, nodding to him as she passed.

     "That would be nice." She said, crossing the threshold. "You two have a nice evening. It was good to meet you, (y/n)."

     "You as well." She smiled from the couch, but her smile dropped when the door shut, and she went back to twiddling her thumbs.

     "Is something wrong, love." He asked, kneeling in front of her, setting his helmet on the table with a clank. He took her hands into his and kissed her knuckles.

     "Just...still a little unsettled about being somewhere new I guess." She said, her voice wavering nervously. "I'm glad to have met her, it's just..."

     "Just what?"

     "I don't know. It's just a lot to take in right now."

     "Can I do anything?" He asked. "While I was in town I found some of your favorite blueberry tea? Do you want me to make you some? With cream and sugar?"

      She smiled and nodded her head softly as she rubbed her thumbs over the surprisingly smooth skin on the back of his hands.

     "I'd love that." She said, feeling his hands parting from hers.

     (Y/n) didn't know what to expect when she first joined Din in the covert, but she looked hopeful for the future. The first day was filled with anxiety, new surroundings, a lot of learning, and new friends. After a cup of her favorite tea, and a long, comforting conversation with Din, she slept soundly through the night.

     The next couple months weren't as bad as she had expected either. At least...not quite. She heard a few grunts and groans from unapproving Mandalorians upset about an outsider living within the covert, but for the most part people were very kind and always willing to help. Navigating through the covert was rather difficult. The walls and floors were all the same leaving very little detail for her to find her way around. Eventually, she remembered where to turn and which direction to get to the key places she needed to go and Naalnish was a big help.

     The small home Din and his wife shared was peaceful. Naalnish chewed on a toy at (y/n)'s feet while she read a book she had found in braille. She sipped on the last cup of tea from the leaves she had been given, sitting under a warm, heavy blanket she found the first day of wandering through the market. She sighed, leaning her head back on the downy cushions of the couch. She sunk into place and set the book down on the seat next to her. Her mind wandered to what Din might be up to. He had the child with him and mentioned something about returning to Sorgan.

     She could feel herself drifting off to sleep, but was startled awake by a loud rumbling coming from above. Naalnish began howling and barking, and the guttural sounds reverberated through her chest.

     "Naalnish, what is it boy?" She asked, kneeling next to him, putting an arm around his back. More crashes and blasterfire were heard above and it shook the ground she sat on. Panic set in for a moment. Mando wasn't around and she had no idea what was going on. She figured the only thing she could do was sit and wait, so she did. The blaster fire stopped after several more large explosions, but she sat, huddled on the ground with her wolf.

     *Bang, bang, bang*

     She heard pounding on the door.

     "(Y/n)! It's me." A woman's voice called. It was Jhersa. (Y/n) mader her way to the door, footsteps a little wobbly from nerves.

     "What's going on?" She asked, opening the door.

     "I'll explain more on the way. You have 5 minutes to pack. We have to go." She said. (Y/n) noticed her voice was clear as if it was never run through a filter. She stood there, a puzzled look on her face, trying to take in everything as it was happening. "Quicky!"

     "Right." (Y/n) said, rushing to the bedroom. She grabbed what she needed. Clothes, her communicator, her folded cane. "Wait. How long are we leaving?" She called.

     "Forever." She called from the living room, trying to get Naalnish situated in his harness.

     "What!"

     "I don't have time to explain, just pack!" Jhersa answered firmly.

     (Y/n) grabbed a few more things. A few gifts Din had given to her, a necklace and a bracelet, then grabbed some things from the bathroom. Slinging the bag over her shoulder she made her way back to the living room.

     "What's going on, Jhersa? What do you mean we're not coming back."

     "I'll tell you later!" She said, shoving the wolf's leash into her hands.

     "Your voice," She said, slipping her shoes on. "is your...helmet off?"

     "I'm no longer a Mandalorian." She said, grabbing (Y/n)'s wrist, pulling her out the front door. "The city is under attack and the remnants of the empire are looking for my people. We revealed ourselves in hope that we won't be targeted as we make our escape."

     "Where are we going?" She asked, trying her best not to strip and stumble as Jhersa dragged her along at top speed.

     "West of the city. There are villages and settlements several miles out with no military presence. I'm bringing you to the edge of the covert. Give me your communicator."

     (Y/n) handed her the device with a shaky hand, gripping the leash tighter with the other. She listened as she hit several buttons and placed it back in her palm.

     "I set a timer for 20 minutes." She said. "When it goes off, leave. I'm leaving now, so I beat you to the village. The story is, you're my sister visiting me for the first time in years. If a stormtrooper stops you tell them you're trying to find me in Ylok. I'm a daughter of a struggling merchant, I'm 27, I have short blonde hair, and brown eyes. Our mother died giving birth to our younger brother who passed away due to illness when he was 3. We haven't seen each other in 5 years because you went away to a boarding school for the blind on Naboo."

     "Do really I need all that information?"

     "They *will* dig at you. If you can't convince them that you have no affiliation with the Mandalorians, they will kill you." She answered sternly. (Y/n) felt tears prick the corners of her eyes.

     "I can't do this." She said. "Can't I just stay here somewhere."

     "It's not safe, (y/n)! Din told me the VERY first day you arrived, that if something were to happen, I had to protect you. I made a promise. Now, dammit, (y/n) this is the plan. Everything is going to be ok."

     "Wait? What about Din? What happened to Din?" She asked, her voice just as shaky as her hands.

    "I don't know where he is." She said. "But I know he was involved with whatever is happening up there. If he makes it, I'm sure he'll come looking for you. I have to go. Stick to the plan, ok?"

    "Ok." She said, listening to her footsteps disappear. Naalnish whined as she sat on the ground, leaning against the cool stone wall. As she waited, she murmured to herself.